Hose guard for use during shining of shoes



Nov. 14, 1961 N. FRANCONE HOSE GUARD FOR USE DURING SHININ G OF SHOESFiled Feb. 8, 1960 United States Patent Ofiicc 3,008,14h Patented Nov.14, 1961 3,008,146 HOSE GUARD FOR USE DURING SHINING F SHOES NicolaFrancone, 14'42 N. Springfield Ave, Chicago, 11]. Filed Feb. 8, 1960,Ser. No. 7,313 3 Claims. (Cl. 2-61) This invention relates to a novelarticle of manufacture comprising a guard device for protecting hoseduring shining or polishing of shoes.

It is contemplated that the guard device embodying the invention will beespecially used in shoe-shine establishments. The usual procedure incleaning and shining shoes is initially to apply a wash by means of abrush or cloth to remove dirt and grime. The wash must then be wiped offto provide a dry surface to which the polish or wax is applied. The waxor paste thereafter is applied, usually by means of a small brush. Itrequires care and caution to avoid contact with the hose exposed abovethe upper edges of the shoe last.

Notwithstanding, during the periods of rush business, such care andcaution may not be exercised with the result that the shoe wash and/orpolish applicator being used will slip past the upper edges of the shoeto brush against the wearers hose. Also, during the brushing of theshoes, composition carried on the brush may be transferred to the hoseunless great care is exercised. The wearers hose are thus dirtied andeven to a slight extent, will present an unsightly and uncomplimentaryappearance. Although such undesirable circumstances have been prevalentfor many years, applicant is unaware of any general use of a guarddevice to prevent such undesirable conditions.

Many reasons for this situation are plausible. A suitable guard devicemust be economical and preferably, for sanitation reasons, be disposableeither after a single use or a limited number of uses. The device mustbe sturdy, easily installed and removed and suitably constructed toprovide the optimum protection against inadvertent soiling of the hose.To applicants knowledge, there has never been a hose guard device whichembodies all of the advantages hereinabove enumerated, as well asothers.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a hoseguard device of the character described which is characterized by aconstruction capable of providing all of the desirable advantagesdiscussed above, as well as others.

An important object of the invention is to provide a guard device of thecharacter described which is highly economical to manufacture so that itwill be conducive to dispose of the same even after a single usethereof.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a hose guard of thecharacter described which can be used universally for mens shoesregardless of size and style; which can be readily modified followingthe principles of the invention for use for womens shoes as well; andwhich is suitable for providing the desired protection over all of thehose areas likely to be soiled or dirtied during the shoe polishingoperation.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will become apparentfrom the ensuing description. A preferred embodiment has been describedin detail in the specification and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing. It is contemplated that minor variations may occur to theskilled artisan without departing from the scope or sacrificing any ofthe advantages of the invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective View showing the hose guard embodying theinvention installed during a polishing operation in a shoe polishingparlor or establishment, for instance.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view on an enlarged scale of a hose guard member ofthe invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the hose guard embodying the invention andshowing a pair of the guard members secured together by means ofreleasable clip means.

In the drawing, the reference character 20 designates generally a leg ofa wearer in position normally assumed in a shoe shining establishment.The wearer is usually seated in an elevated chair so that shoes 22 canbe sup ported on a suitable stand shown partially at 24. The attendantin the establishment ordinarily will use a brush 26 for applying apolishing composition to the shoe 22 and great care must 'be exercisedto avoid contact with the hose or stocking 28 adjacent the upper edges29 of the shoe last. However, with the use of hose guard embodying theinvention which has been designated generally by the reference character30 in FIG. 1, the attendant is provided with positive means to preventinadvertent contact of the brush 26 with hose 28.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, it will be seen that the guard device 30 iscomprised of a pair of substantially identical planar members 32, andtherefore, the description in detail of one of the members 32 willsuffice for the other. The member 32 seen in FIG. 2 preferably is madeof sheet material such as paperboard, kraft paper or even plastic whichis economical and readily worked. The member 32 is conveniently stampedto shape so that continuous webs of the material from which the deviceis made can be fed at high speed through suitable die stamping equipmentfor purposes of economy of manufacture. This has not been shown indetail because die stamping techniques suitable for making of the guardmembers are well understood by the skilled artisan.

Each member '32 is generally wedge or fan shaped in configuration.Considering the orientation of the member 32 installed as seen in FIG.1, the upper edge 33 of the member may be reenforced, such as by thebeading 34 to provide for convenient handling of the member duringinstallation and removal thereof. It is contemplated that the grippingmeans for the member, such as typified by beading 34-, may take otherforms as well, such as a block or finger piece secured adjacent theupper edge 33 in any well known manner. The lateral edges 36 and 38 ofthe member are divergent from the extremities of the upper edge 33 toprovide a medial bulge portion 40 so that the bottom end '42 of themember may be considered tapered relative to the medial bulge portion40. As illustrated, the lateral edge 36 is generally V- shaped and atits juncture with the bottom end 42 there may be provided a protrusionor extension 44 which serves as a guide for assisting in installation ofthe guard member.

As stated above, a pair of such members 32 are employed and to preventseparation and loss of the members, they may be releasably securedtogether by means of the clips 46 and flexible connector member 48 seenin FIGS. 1 and 3. The clips 46 may each be secured to a medial locationalong the lateral edge 36 of a member 32 and the connector 48 maycomprise a chain or thong or other readily available structure. It willbe understood that the clips 46 and connector 48 may remain secured tothe guard device during the shoe-shining operation, as seen in FIG. 1.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the hose guard 30 is shown installed. Thereis-a member 32 on each side of the foot. The bottom end 42 of the memberis inserted downwardly between the shoe last and the hose 28 past theedge 29 as far as possible. The flexibility of the member 32 will permitthe member to curve in the plane thereof and thereby, generally conformto the curvature of the foot and ankle of the wearer. The medial bulgeportion 40 of the member will cover the lateral surface of the footadjacent therefrom from the acllilles tendon at the rear of the footacross the instep of the foot. In fact, the members 32 may overlapacross the instep of the foot as indicated at 49. It will thus be seenthat the pertinent portions of the hose above the upper edge 29 of theshoe are covered and protected by the installed members 32 so that thebrush 26 cannot come into contact therewith, even inadvertently. Afterthe shoe 22 is shined, the members 32 are easily removed and heldtogether by the clips 46 and connector member 48.

' Although not specifically shown, the outer surfaces of the members 32may be conveniently imprinted with advertising matter and the name ofthe shoe shine establishment. Thus, it would be conducive for shoemanufacturers and shoe polish manufacturerers to provide the hose guardmembers 32, suitably imprinted, as premiums with their shoe or polishproducts as the case may be, or to shoe shine establishments. Theeconomy of manufacture of the guard device 30 would we conducive to sucha distribution and use thereof.

The members 32 may 'vary in configuration from that illustrated anddescribed, but generally, for mens shoes, the configuration illustratedwould be universally usable. The members 32 may be adapted for use forwomens shoes as well, especially of the closed pump variety presently invogue.

It is believed the invention has been described in sufiicient detail toenable the skilled artisan to understand and practice the same. Theinvention has been pointed out in the appended claims in languageintended to be broadly and liberally construed.

What it is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A hose guard for use during cleaning and shining of shoes comprising,a flexible sheet member of generally fan-shaped configuration having anupper end, bottom end and a medial bulge portion, said bottom end beinggenerally convergently tapered relative the medial portion, said guardadapted to be inserted between the shoe last and hose bottom-edge firstin encompassing, conforming relationship with adjacent lateral surfacesof the ankle and instep of the wearer, said bottom end having a freeedge adapted to be inserted adjacent the sole of the wearers shoe toenable the guard to be removed without requiring prior removal of theshoe.

2. A hose guard for use during shining of shoes comprising, a pair ofsubstantially identical, flexible sheet members of generallywedge-shaped configuration, each sheet member having a bottom endtapered relative the medial body portion thereof for ready insertioninto a shoe between the last thereof and the hose of the wearer, thebody portion adapted to flex in the plane thereof into substantiallyconforming relation with adjacent lateral surfaces of the ankle andinstep of the wearer when the guard is installed, each guard having thebottom end thereof provided with a free edge adapted to be insertedadjacent the sole of the wearers shoe to enable the members to beremoved without requiring prior removal of the shoe, said members beingreleasably connected together. 3 i

3. A hose guard for use during cleaning and shining of shoes comprising,a flexible sheet member of generally fan-shaped configuration having anupper end, bottom end and a medial bulge portion said bottom end beinggenerally convergently tapered relative the medial portion, said guardadapted to be inserted between the shoe last and hose bottom-end firstin encompassing, conforming relationship with adjacent lateral surfacesof the ankle and instep of the wearer, said bottom end having a freeedge adapted to be inserted adjacent the sole of the wearers shoe toenable the guard to be removed without requiring prior removal of theshoe, said sheet having a guide protrusion along a lateral edge andadjacent the bottom end thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS one.

